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F. A. SCHULTZ.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR FLAT IRONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-17.1%].

f 1,306,723. Patnted June 17, 1919.

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F. A. SC-IULTZ.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR FLAT IRONS.

APPLICATION mu) MAR. I]. 19w,

1,306,723. mm. lunv 17, m

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AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOB FLAT-IRONS.

Specification of htters'ratent. Patented June 17, 1919.

Application fled latch 17, 1917. Serial No. 155,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. SCHULTZ,

a' citizen of the United States of America,

anda resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches for Flat-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

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This invention relates mainly to electric flatirons and kindred implements, and particularly to current controlling means there.- for, but some features of the invention are broadly applicable to the current switching means of many kinds of electrical devices, as will be understood from the following description and claims.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of current-controlling means or switch for hand-operated implements; to provide such means adapted for automatic or partly automatic operation,

controllable at the will of the operator while the implement is in use; to provide automatic switching means on an ironing device adapted to facilitate control of the -heat source and particularly for actuation by tilting the iron either while in use or upon resting the same so as to open the circuit and cut off the supply of heat thereby; to provide an -improved form of'switch and mounting therefor; and to provide an improved form of switch-controlling lock or latch, and latch-tripping means for releasing the switch.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure'l' is a side view of a flatiron having the improvement of this invention mounted upon and attached to its rear end, parts of the handle and adjacent parts being broken away to show some-of the details, and the switch being shown in its closed position.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view-showing only the rear part as viewed in Fig. 1, but with the iron tilted backward and the switch beopen i 4 is a fragmentary section on the line air-E of Fig.

- the plug body in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, mainly in section on the line B-B of Fig. 3, but with Fig. 6 is a conventional diagramof .the electrical connections.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings,.the invention is applied to a flat'iron 1 comprising a body part 2 and-ahandle 3. The electric heater element 4 (Fig. 6) is contained in the lower part of the body member, as usual in devices of this character. Terminals 5 and 6 extend from the heater element to switching means at the'upper rear corner of the iron where a socket member -7 is provided in which the'outer extremitie's of said terminals are disposed. A.

plug 8 is provided adapted for coaction with said socket and terminals, said plug being provided with a two-conductor current'supply cord 9, as understood in the art.

The socket comprises a frame or guide member 10 attached rigidly, at its lower and upper ends to the casing 11 ofthe flatiron body and the rear arm 3' of the handle 3 respectively. Said guide 10 is formed and adapted to-serve as a protection for the ter-'- mmals 5 and 6 and as a support for the.

plug. The upper end of said casing has forward and rear tips or guide lips 12 and 13 projecting somewhat and turned divergently so as to facilitate introductionv of the plug. The forward or inner tip 12 serves as a supporting lug and is connected tightly over a shoulder or tongue-like lug 14 struck backward on the handle arm 3'. downwardly projecting tips or lugs 15 are provided on the lower front side of the socket for interlocking with said body casing 11, which is provided with a pair of apertures or perforations 16 arranged to reoeive said lugs, and the lower ends of'the latter are turned hookwise, preferably back-' ward, so as to positively engage or book under the adjacent part of the casing 11 and interlock permanently therewith. By means of the said top and bottom members 12 and 15 the socket is held rigidl in place without the use of rivets or other astenings.

The plug 8 is provided with a air of contacts 17 contained in downwa y fac= ing apertures 17', the latter be ng preferaby intho form oislotsaelaptcdtoreceivc A pair of the terminals 5 and 6 when the plug is applied thereto. The contacts of each pair are connected as shown at 17 in Fig. 6.

Fastening means of automatic or .partly automatic character for locking the plug in its effective position are provided thereon, for which purpose a yielding latch member 18 in the form of a leaf spring is attached on the forward side of the plug. The fixed end of the spring is apertured at 19 to re ceive the screw 20 by which it is fastened to the plug. In order to avoid any projection on the plug at this point the plug is formed with a depression 21 to receive the spring and said screw 20. From this point the spring extends upward and thence curves forward and downward, the lower part lying normally adjacent to the front side of the plug where it is movable yieldingly away from the plug when suitable force is applied. In connecting the circuit the plug is inserted by thrusting lengthwise down into the socket, the spring, however, at its outwardly turned free end being guided somewhat away'from the plug and entering the uppermost aperture 22 in the handle arm 3', so that as the plug moves downward the lower end of the spring slides down on the is provided with a rearward upwardly facing shoulder 23 on its rear side adjacent to its lower end, which shoulder is formed by striking back a tongue-like strip 23 integral at its lower end with said spring. Said shoulder 23 successively engages the forwardly turned lug or shoulder 12 in the upper'aperture 22, the medial aperture 24, and the lowermost aperture 25 in the handle.

In order that the plug may be raised auto matically for opening the switch upon release of the latch 18, resilient means are supplied therefor in the form ofa helical hfting sprlng 26, one end of which is fixed at 27 in the upper end of the plug coaxially with the latter, and the other end of which is provided with an outstanding peripheral shoulder or ring member 28 to spring is permanently attached. In applying the plug to the socket, the upper end of the spring 26 is hung upon the rearwardly projecting bracket'29, which is provided on the upper end of the handle arm 3, the attachment of the plug being eifected b sliding the shoulder member 28 over the s otted end of said bracket, the slot 30 being of open Urshape with; the sides or arms 29' pointing backward so as to receive the lifting spring and cord 9 when the latter are swung forward. into place. Said bracket-29 may be held d'emounta'bly by the threaded end of the handle screw 3". The resilience of said spring 26 renders it neceswhich the 'hand to its contact position. This is facilitated by the large hand ring or hearing 31 fitting loosely around the spring 26 and resting on the upper end of the plug. Said ring 31 may be made of wood or other suitable material.

When the plug has been forced to its effective position it is held or locked in place by the latch device 18 above described. In order to release the plug, latch releasing means are provided in the form of a trip rod or plunger 32 extending diagonally downward and backward for ooalction with the ironing board or other object operated upon, or for direct manual movement inward against the lower end of the spring 18 so as to disengage the locking shoulder 23 from the upper edge or shoulder 25 of aperture 25.

Guide means are provided for the rod 32- on the rear end of the iron. For this purpose a bracket or plate 33, bent to an angul-ar shape, is provided with an aperture 34 in one wing 33 which is disposed rearwardly to receive the rod. The other wing 33 is laid against-and secured to the back end of the iron, as by inwardly turned lugs 35 formed thereon at each side for attachment to the casing 11 by clenchin in the casing apertures 36. In order to limit the movement of the rod 32 a headed pin 37 is provided thereon for coacti-on with the slot 38 disposed parallelly in said wing 33 with respect to said rod. Said rearward wing 33' is curved somewhat, and the slot bearing part slants downward away from the iron so that when the iron is tipped back slightly the rod will be driven inward and the pin 37 will at the same time follow the slot 38. The inner end of the rod 32 passes through apertures 39 and40 in the rear and front of the socket wall 10 respectively, and between the insulators 5' and 6 in which the terminals 5 and 6 are set.

The outer end of wing 33 is preferably bifurcated and the tips 41 areextended somewhat beyond the upturned tip 32' of rod 32, so that the iron may rest stably when tipped back sufficiently to stand on end and rest on said tips 41 and the handlebracket 29, as will be understood. When so tipped back the iron rests on the triangular frame or stand comprised by the handle bracket 29 and the two guide bracket tips 41.

The operation for inserting the plug and locking the same may be summarized as follows: The operator grasps the plug in the right hand, holding the handle of the iron with the left hand and thrusts the lower end of the plug into the socket, the spring 18 entering the upper aperture 22. At this point in the operation, it is necessary to make sure that the shoulder 28 'on the upper end of the lifting spring slides into place on [the upper side of the arms 29 on the bracket 29. The 0 plug downward to its effective circuit closing position by pressure on the ring 31, whereupon the latch 18 automatically engages the handle arm 3' at the shoulder 25' and holds the plug in place against the tension of the spring 26. 7

Whenever in using the iron the heat becomes excessive the plug may be released and the circuit thereby broken merely by tilting the iron backward slightly so as to throw the release end of the trip pin 32 inward, by ooaction of the outer end 32' with the ironing board or other surface on which the iron rests. As soon as thelatch spring I and engaging the shoulder 24, in which con-- dition the device may remain until more heat 18 is released the restoring spring 26 raises the plug and opens the circuit, the upward movement being arrested and limited by the latch shoulder 23 entering the aperture 24 is required, whereupon the operator may again force theplug down to its efiectiveposition where it will be again locked automatically by the latch 18.

The plug may be disconnected from the switch by an operation substantially the reverse of that described and connecting it in place, the latchlS being released either di rectly by hand or by means of the trip rod 32, whereupon the plug may be withdrawn, care being taken to hold the latch spring forward slightly so as to prevent engagement of the latch shoulder 23 with the aperture 24 and the socket tip 12.

When theiron is not in use the plug may be left in its raised position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, though it may be entirely removed if preferred. Whenever it is desiredthat the iron should become extra hot, and also when the current is first turned on, the iron may be disposed uprightly with the switch closed until it becomes sufficiently hot, care being taken in setting the iron on end that the release pin 32 is not pushed in and the latch spring tripped.

Although but one specific em'bodiment'of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention" as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting body member and handle, a switch socket member carried thereby, comprising a body of sheet metal formed in tubular shape with lugs at each end adapted for attachment to said body member and handle respectively.

2. An electric flatiron havin a pair ofrator then forces theadapted to coact with said socket and tenninals, means for supporting said plug yieldably and adapted to urge the plug to its open position, yielding lock means adapted to automatically fasten the plug'in its closed position and a diagonally disposed trip -member extending backward and downward from the lower part of the socket and adapted torelease said lock means by thrusting upward against the same.

3. An electric flatiron, comprising a body part and a handle therefor, a control device for the electric circuit, supporting means on said flatiron for the movable parts of said device, said bod part and handle having brackets respectlvely adapted to serve as said supportlng means, said device comprising a'plunger part carried the handle bracket, and a trip member carried by the body bracket, stationary guide means being provided for said plunger part.

4. A flatiron having a plug switch at its rear end, a rearward bracket also attached to the rear end of the iron and positioned -to clear the ironing board when-the iron is in use, means urging the plug outward,

means for locking the plug in its closed position, and trip means carried by said bracket adapted to release the locking means, said trip means having a contact part disposed downward from said bracket and adapted for actuation by contact with the ironing board when the iron is tilted backward.

5. A flatiron having a plug switch at its rear end, a rearward bracket also attached to the rear end of the iron and positioned to clear the ironing board when the iron is in use, means urging the plug outward, means for locking the plug .in its closed position, and trip means carried by said bracket adapted to release the locking means, said trip means having a contact part disposed downward from said bracket --and adapted for actuation by contact with the ironing board when the iron is tilted backward, said bracket extending beyond the trip means and being adapted to serve as a support for the flatiron when stood upright on its rear end.

6. A flatiron having a spring actuated plug switch at itsrear end adjacent to the rear side of the rear handle arm, said plug having a spring latch attached to its upper end and extending downward toward its tip, said arm being apertured to receive said latch' and havin a pair of shoulders one above the other neath said aperture, and said latch at its free lower end being-formed and adapted to coact with and releasably engage said shoulders at its closed and open positions respectively.

7. An electric ironing implement, comprising a plug switch, upwardly acting resilient means or supporting the plug; f cans 'for holding the plug down, and a. (irked bracket on the handle of said implement having a U-shaped opening to receive said means demountably, said means being in the form of a helical tension spring attached at its lower end tosaid plug and at its uppen end having a shoulder adapted to seat on the arms of the forked bracket.

8. An electric ironing implement, comprising a plug switch, upwardly acting re-- silient means for supporting the plug, means for holding the plug down to close the switch, a forked bracket having a U-shaped opening to receive said means demountably, said means being in the form of a helical tension spring attached at its lower end to said plug and at its upper end having a FRANK, A. SCHULTZ. 

